2 Jack/River drabbles
Jan. 21st, 2007 02:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
walkwithheroesTitle: Princes, Knights, and Coffee Cans
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
walkwithheroes
Rated: G (though there is one curse word.)
Word Count: 725
Claim: River Tam and Jack Harkness
Fandom(s): Firefly, Doctor Who
Character(s): River Tam, Jack Harkness (cameos by Owen Harper and Ianto Jones; Simon Tam mentioned)
Prompt: 034. Not Enough
Spoilers: None for Firefly. Maybe a hint for Torchwood in regard to Ianto/Jack.
Pairing: Little hints of future Jack/River, hints of Ianto/Jack
Disclaimer: River Tam is owed by Joss Whedon. Jack Harkness and Torchwood are owned by the BBC Wales and 'Uncle Rusty'. River's fit was based on her fit in the Firefly episode 'Shindig'. 'Suicide Is Painless' was the theme song of MASH.
Author's Note: My second. prompt for this pairing. As always, a special thank you to my beta, loves the idea of Jack/River, and who'd love to see a proper Torchwood/Firefly crossover...
“They get you...eat you alive.” River Tam's hands quickly tore all the labels off of Ianto's coffee cans, as she muttered her nonsense. “Covered in blood. Always bloody, never clean.”
From the doorway, Jack Harkness carefully watched her. Watched her delicate hands fly over the cans, pulling the blue labels off. He leaned against the door frame, careful not to let her know he was there - even though he was sure River knew he was; she seemed to know everything.
“Suicide would have been better.” River sniffed; Jack was sure she had started to cry. “Bullets inside, it would have been better.” A crazed giggle escaped her lips, and Jack felt himself shiver.
River's gaze slowly moved from her -Ianto's- coffee cans to the doorway and Jack. “Suicide is painless. It's what comes afterward that hurts. Always...hurts.”
“I wouldn't know.” He told her softly. “I'd never go the suicide route, even if they tell me it's romantic.”
Shaking her head River glued her eyes onto his. “It's not romantic. It's just...it just makes people cry. I would have done it, but Simon would have been sad.”
Simon.
The Brother.
The Doctor.
The goddamn Saviour.
Simon always made Jack jealous, even if he was dead or in another dimension, or both. Simon had been the one to save River once upon a time. Jack wanted to save River from...everything. Jack couldn't explain it, he just felt that River had already been through enough and that it was his job to make sure she went through no more pain.
“Wouldn't want that,” Jack told her, his tone only a little flip. Regarding the cans for a moment, Jack went on, “you know, Ianto's not going to be too happy with you. He had those cans in order.”
River let her gaze drift to the cans, then back to Jack. “He won't be mad about that. He's upset that I'm stealing from him. Little by little, the maid steals the souls of the knights. All red blush and pale skin.”
His eyes steady on River's, Jack smiled. He was all charm and ease, as he asked her: “You're stealing Ianto's knight?”
River nodded brightly, her earlier episode nearly forgotten. “All shiny armor and honor.”
“Huh,” Jack shook his head in disbelief.
Carefully, River placed all the coffee cans in a neat row. Without looking at Jack, she went about her task of quietly cleaning up her mess, placing the torn labels into the dust bin, and making sure the counter was nice and clean for when Ianto returned to the Hub.
Finally, after what seemed like forever to Jack, River looked back up to Jack. “Ianto's like Simon, nice and quiet, but a hero. Ianto'll save princes and princesses one day.” She smiled, all sweetness and the picture of innocence. “Just like you.”
“River...I didn't save you.” Jack reminded her softly. “I just found you.”
“Sometimes, that's enough.” River smiled at him again, this time a little more secretively. The girl was full of secrets. Jack opened his mouth to speak again, but was stopped when River shouted: “Ianto!”
Trying to ignore the fact that he had jumped, Jack glanced back to see Ianto and Owen standing behind him. Both waiting to enter the room. Hiding a blush, Jack moved aside to let the two younger me enter.
“What happened?” Own questioned, the sliest of grins playing over his face.
River looked down at the floor. “They were bad.”
Ianto looked at his label-less coffee cans as if they were murdered family members. “Well, that's alright. We'll just have mystery coffee for a few days.”
“I'm sorry, Ianto. I took your label and tore it and now I...” Trailing off, River shook her head in frustration. “They were bad. It was getting noisy and they were bad!” River glanced about, and found all three men just staring at her, almost as if she had grown another head. With renewed anger, River fled the room, shouting: “There's not enough here!”
All three men were quiet for a moment, before Owen stated:
“Is it me, or does she get even more crazy by the day?”
Ianto spared Owen a glare, while Jack just looked back to River's retreating figure.
“River just needs things we don't have, Owen. Things we can't give her.”
Title: Bad Day
Author:walkwithheroes
Rated: PG (for dark themes.)
Word Count: 620
Claim: River Tam and Jack Harkness
Fandom(s): Firefly, Doctor Who
Character(s): River Tam, Jack Harkness (mentions of Gwen Copper and Ianto Jones)
Prompt: 033. Too Much
Spoilers: None.
Pairing: Little hinted at Jack/River
Disclaimer: River Tam is owed by Joss Whedon. Jack Harkness and Torchwood are owned by the BBC Wales and 'Uncle Rusty'.
Author's Note: My third prompt for this pairing. As always, a special thank you to my beta.
River could have been considered beautiful by anyone's standards - long brown hair, big brown eyes, and the body of a dancer. She was also completely insane.
It was...it made everyone's heart hurt to watch River. Exspecially on her bad days. Those were the days when Ianto or Gwen or Jack would find her sitting in a corner, down by the cages. She'd be stroking her own hair, rocking back and forth, and whispering odd things to herself.
"They come and they come and they take you in your bed...take you when you brush your teeth. Little specks in the air. Little..."
Jack knelt down beside River, though he didn't dare touch her. "River? Can you hear me, River?"
River looked straight ahead, slowly rocking back and forth, her hands went from her hair to her face, gently stroking. Gently trying to sooth and calm herself - no one else at the Hub seemed able to do it, so she was left to do it herself.
"River?" Jack moved his head, until he was sure his face was the only thing in her line of vision. "What do you need? I'll give you anything you need, you just need to come back to us."
River suddenly looked away, over Jack's shoulder, to something that wasn't there. "Don't...don't let them get River."
"Oh no..." Gently, Jack placed a hand on the side of her face. "No one's gonna hurt you." He chuckled gently, low in his throat. "Besides, I think you could beat Owen up...if he tried anything."
Her gaze moved back to Jack, and her eyes burned two perfect holes into his soul. "No." She began rocking harder, faster. "There're comin' in, Cap'n." River's voice had gone low, manly and uneducated sounding ; it reminded Jack of old American cowboys. "I...Simon!" River's voice had changed again, girly and sweet.
River gasped for air, screamed, and closed her eyes tightly. "They're coming. They're coming! To the shuttles, to the gorram shuttles! Can't go back, can't go back for Kaylee...Simon! Grab him tight, don't let go. Don't let them get...River."
Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared deeply into Jack's. "Don't let them." She spoke softly, sadly. River sounded tired and her tone was pleading.
She wanted him to take care of her now; she needed him. Really needed him...and it had been such a very long time since anyone had actually really needed Captain Jack Harkness.
With a deep and shaky breath, Jack slowly nodded. "Okay." He reached out for her, gently taking River into his arms for a hug. "It's okay. I'm here...it's okay."
Hot tears fell down River's cheeks and onto Jack's clean shirt. "It's all...they're all inside me. Eating me from the inside, like a cancer. They won't leave...they never leave."
Jack smirked against her hair, he knew those lines all too well. "I know. I know, River. Hey," Carefully, he moved her back, so he could look her in the eyes. "I'll take care of you, promise. I'll get you home to...your family."
River sniffed. "They're not there. Ding, dong, no one's home." She giggled madly...it was unnerving, even for Jack.
"River." His voice firm and cold, Jack kept his gaze steady. "River, do you want to come with me? Huh? I'll get Ianto to get you a cherry flavored cola." He smiled broadly at her, stood, and offered River a warm hand to hold onto to.
River regarded the hand for a moment, before gingerly slipping one of her tiny and cold hand into Jack's. She allowed him to pull her up and guide her to the heart of the Hub, where the others were waiting.
Author:
walkwithheroesRated: G (though there is one curse word.)
Word Count: 725
Claim: River Tam and Jack Harkness
Fandom(s): Firefly, Doctor Who
Character(s): River Tam, Jack Harkness (cameos by Owen Harper and Ianto Jones; Simon Tam mentioned)
Prompt: 034. Not Enough
Spoilers: None for Firefly. Maybe a hint for Torchwood in regard to Ianto/Jack.
Pairing: Little hints of future Jack/River, hints of Ianto/Jack
Disclaimer: River Tam is owed by Joss Whedon. Jack Harkness and Torchwood are owned by the BBC Wales and 'Uncle Rusty'. River's fit was based on her fit in the Firefly episode 'Shindig'. 'Suicide Is Painless' was the theme song of MASH.
Author's Note: My second. prompt for this pairing. As always, a special thank you to my beta, loves the idea of Jack/River, and who'd love to see a proper Torchwood/Firefly crossover...
“They get you...eat you alive.” River Tam's hands quickly tore all the labels off of Ianto's coffee cans, as she muttered her nonsense. “Covered in blood. Always bloody, never clean.”
From the doorway, Jack Harkness carefully watched her. Watched her delicate hands fly over the cans, pulling the blue labels off. He leaned against the door frame, careful not to let her know he was there - even though he was sure River knew he was; she seemed to know everything.
“Suicide would have been better.” River sniffed; Jack was sure she had started to cry. “Bullets inside, it would have been better.” A crazed giggle escaped her lips, and Jack felt himself shiver.
River's gaze slowly moved from her -Ianto's- coffee cans to the doorway and Jack. “Suicide is painless. It's what comes afterward that hurts. Always...hurts.”
“I wouldn't know.” He told her softly. “I'd never go the suicide route, even if they tell me it's romantic.”
Shaking her head River glued her eyes onto his. “It's not romantic. It's just...it just makes people cry. I would have done it, but Simon would have been sad.”
Simon.
The Brother.
The Doctor.
The goddamn Saviour.
Simon always made Jack jealous, even if he was dead or in another dimension, or both. Simon had been the one to save River once upon a time. Jack wanted to save River from...everything. Jack couldn't explain it, he just felt that River had already been through enough and that it was his job to make sure she went through no more pain.
“Wouldn't want that,” Jack told her, his tone only a little flip. Regarding the cans for a moment, Jack went on, “you know, Ianto's not going to be too happy with you. He had those cans in order.”
River let her gaze drift to the cans, then back to Jack. “He won't be mad about that. He's upset that I'm stealing from him. Little by little, the maid steals the souls of the knights. All red blush and pale skin.”
His eyes steady on River's, Jack smiled. He was all charm and ease, as he asked her: “You're stealing Ianto's knight?”
River nodded brightly, her earlier episode nearly forgotten. “All shiny armor and honor.”
“Huh,” Jack shook his head in disbelief.
Carefully, River placed all the coffee cans in a neat row. Without looking at Jack, she went about her task of quietly cleaning up her mess, placing the torn labels into the dust bin, and making sure the counter was nice and clean for when Ianto returned to the Hub.
Finally, after what seemed like forever to Jack, River looked back up to Jack. “Ianto's like Simon, nice and quiet, but a hero. Ianto'll save princes and princesses one day.” She smiled, all sweetness and the picture of innocence. “Just like you.”
“River...I didn't save you.” Jack reminded her softly. “I just found you.”
“Sometimes, that's enough.” River smiled at him again, this time a little more secretively. The girl was full of secrets. Jack opened his mouth to speak again, but was stopped when River shouted: “Ianto!”
Trying to ignore the fact that he had jumped, Jack glanced back to see Ianto and Owen standing behind him. Both waiting to enter the room. Hiding a blush, Jack moved aside to let the two younger me enter.
“What happened?” Own questioned, the sliest of grins playing over his face.
River looked down at the floor. “They were bad.”
Ianto looked at his label-less coffee cans as if they were murdered family members. “Well, that's alright. We'll just have mystery coffee for a few days.”
“I'm sorry, Ianto. I took your label and tore it and now I...” Trailing off, River shook her head in frustration. “They were bad. It was getting noisy and they were bad!” River glanced about, and found all three men just staring at her, almost as if she had grown another head. With renewed anger, River fled the room, shouting: “There's not enough here!”
All three men were quiet for a moment, before Owen stated:
“Is it me, or does she get even more crazy by the day?”
Ianto spared Owen a glare, while Jack just looked back to River's retreating figure.
“River just needs things we don't have, Owen. Things we can't give her.”
Title: Bad Day
Author:
walkwithheroesRated: PG (for dark themes.)
Word Count: 620
Claim: River Tam and Jack Harkness
Fandom(s): Firefly, Doctor Who
Character(s): River Tam, Jack Harkness (mentions of Gwen Copper and Ianto Jones)
Prompt: 033. Too Much
Spoilers: None.
Pairing: Little hinted at Jack/River
Disclaimer: River Tam is owed by Joss Whedon. Jack Harkness and Torchwood are owned by the BBC Wales and 'Uncle Rusty'.
Author's Note: My third prompt for this pairing. As always, a special thank you to my beta.
River could have been considered beautiful by anyone's standards - long brown hair, big brown eyes, and the body of a dancer. She was also completely insane.
It was...it made everyone's heart hurt to watch River. Exspecially on her bad days. Those were the days when Ianto or Gwen or Jack would find her sitting in a corner, down by the cages. She'd be stroking her own hair, rocking back and forth, and whispering odd things to herself.
"They come and they come and they take you in your bed...take you when you brush your teeth. Little specks in the air. Little..."
Jack knelt down beside River, though he didn't dare touch her. "River? Can you hear me, River?"
River looked straight ahead, slowly rocking back and forth, her hands went from her hair to her face, gently stroking. Gently trying to sooth and calm herself - no one else at the Hub seemed able to do it, so she was left to do it herself.
"River?" Jack moved his head, until he was sure his face was the only thing in her line of vision. "What do you need? I'll give you anything you need, you just need to come back to us."
River suddenly looked away, over Jack's shoulder, to something that wasn't there. "Don't...don't let them get River."
"Oh no..." Gently, Jack placed a hand on the side of her face. "No one's gonna hurt you." He chuckled gently, low in his throat. "Besides, I think you could beat Owen up...if he tried anything."
Her gaze moved back to Jack, and her eyes burned two perfect holes into his soul. "No." She began rocking harder, faster. "There're comin' in, Cap'n." River's voice had gone low, manly and uneducated sounding ; it reminded Jack of old American cowboys. "I...Simon!" River's voice had changed again, girly and sweet.
River gasped for air, screamed, and closed her eyes tightly. "They're coming. They're coming! To the shuttles, to the gorram shuttles! Can't go back, can't go back for Kaylee...Simon! Grab him tight, don't let go. Don't let them get...River."
Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared deeply into Jack's. "Don't let them." She spoke softly, sadly. River sounded tired and her tone was pleading.
She wanted him to take care of her now; she needed him. Really needed him...and it had been such a very long time since anyone had actually really needed Captain Jack Harkness.
With a deep and shaky breath, Jack slowly nodded. "Okay." He reached out for her, gently taking River into his arms for a hug. "It's okay. I'm here...it's okay."
Hot tears fell down River's cheeks and onto Jack's clean shirt. "It's all...they're all inside me. Eating me from the inside, like a cancer. They won't leave...they never leave."
Jack smirked against her hair, he knew those lines all too well. "I know. I know, River. Hey," Carefully, he moved her back, so he could look her in the eyes. "I'll take care of you, promise. I'll get you home to...your family."
River sniffed. "They're not there. Ding, dong, no one's home." She giggled madly...it was unnerving, even for Jack.
"River." His voice firm and cold, Jack kept his gaze steady. "River, do you want to come with me? Huh? I'll get Ianto to get you a cherry flavored cola." He smiled broadly at her, stood, and offered River a warm hand to hold onto to.
River regarded the hand for a moment, before gingerly slipping one of her tiny and cold hand into Jack's. She allowed him to pull her up and guide her to the heart of the Hub, where the others were waiting.
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Date: 2007-01-21 09:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 09:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 02:33 am (UTC)Random comment, but...
Date: 2010-11-26 07:02 am (UTC)I don't think I've ever seen Firefly crossovered with Torchwood, so this is very interesting.
He's upset that I'm stealing from him. Little by little
I love, love, love this line! Laced with both pairings :)
Your characterization of River is spot-on, lovely!
Re: Random comment, but...
Date: 2010-11-26 09:21 pm (UTC)Thank you so much for commenting!